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<title>Stay Here(and Hold Me Tighter) by doctorsimmonswilson</title>
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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24349219">Stay Here(and Hold Me Tighter)</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/doctorsimmonswilson/pseuds/doctorsimmonswilson'>doctorsimmonswilson</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Grey's Anatomy</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/M, I Will Go Down With This Ship, Light Angst, So I wrote another fix-it fic, The Karevs Deserved Better</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-05-24</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-05-24</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-04 08:28:45</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>902</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24349219</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/doctorsimmonswilson/pseuds/doctorsimmonswilson</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Alex knows he has to tell Jo. But he’s terrified. He doesn’t want to hurt her, she’s had enough of that for one lifetime. </p><p>[Another 16x16 Fix-It]</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Alex Karev/Jo Wilson Karev</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>7</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>52</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Stay Here(and Hold Me Tighter)</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Jo aimlessly flips through the TV channels as she munches on some carrots.</p><p> “Ugh, there’s nothing on. Anything you want to watch, Alex?” she calls toward the bathroom. Alex steps out, taking a breath. </p><p> “Jo?” Alex says quietly. </p><p> Jo turns her head toward him, pulling her elbows up onto the couch, and leaning her chin on her arms. “Yeah?” she smiles so brightly, and she’s so happy, Alex’s heart cracks. His heart cracks because she’s okay, and he’s about to throw her another curveball she doesn’t deserve. </p><p> She’s so good-hearted, so kind and so giving; and the world keeps on tearing her down, ripping her apart. But she never falters, with her huge heart and bright smile and her ability to make anything better. And Alex doesn’t want to watch that fade- not again- but he knows there is no alternative. She deserves to know. And he doesn’t know a way around telling her. </p><p> “Uh, can we talk?” He takes a seat next to her, and noticing the shift in his tone, she tilts her head at him in confusion.</p><p> “Yeah,” she shrugs. He knows how she thinks, how she reacts to things that make her nervous; she tenses up, readies herself for the worst. So Alex grabs her hand, running his finger over her wedding bands. Jo swallows, looking at him.</p><p> “Well, I uh, uh, I don’t know how to say this. I don’t really want to- but I have to,” he squeezes her hand, and Jo bites her lip. “When I called people for Mer’s trial, I called Izzie Stevens. My um, ex-wife. And when I called her, she- she has five-year-old twins, and they’re- they’re my kids too,” Alex grabs Jo’s other hand and shifts closer to her.</p><p> Jo opens her mouth as if to speak, but closes it. She closes her eyes as well for a moment, letting out a long beholden breath. When she opens them again, they’re filled with tears. </p><p> “You have kids? Did you- you- did you know? Have you just kept this from me? When I was worked up about those papers- did you-?” Jo brings a hand to her eyes, dragging her fingers across the un-darkened bags that reside underneath them, preventing the tears from rolling down her face. </p><p> Alex vigorously shakes his head, “No,” he squeezes his eyes shut in frustration and empathy, “no, no. Of course not, Jo. I found out on that call. I was shocked- more shocked than you even. It hurt me. I mean, she kept my kids from me. I’m a dad, and I didn’t even know. </p><p> But I get it- I mean she wanted kids, and I signed away my rights. But I wasn’t thinking. I was young, and everything felt so fast back then. I thought she was gonna die, and I never, ever thought those eggs would be my kids.” </p><p> Jo bites her lip so hard, Alex watched blood come out of it. If he felt like he could speak again, he would tell her she needs to apply chapstick more often. She slips her right hand out of Alex’s and runs it through her hair.</p><p> “Um,” she begins lamely, “is she going to bring them here? To meet you; now that they know?” Jo’s eyebrows scrunch. </p><p> “I- I should ask her. Right? To do that. I want- I want to. But you don’t have to- or you can. If you want to. It’s not-“</p><p> “I should meet them, right? I mean I guess being your wife makes me their step-mom. If that’s okay with Izzie- and you. That I have a relationship with them,” Jo swallows.</p><p> “You will. Because we want kids, someday- so they’ll need to know you. And their siblings,” Alex shrugs.</p><p>  Jo whimpers, “You still want kids with me?” Alex cups her cheek.</p><p> “Of course Jo. This doesn’t- it doesn’t change us. It’s still you and me against the world. But it does change our life together. Can you be okay with this?” Alex questions. </p><p> Jo leans her cheek into his touch, “Yeah. Yeah, I can.” Alex lets her snuggle into his side, as she switches on a random TV program. He kisses the top of her head. </p><p> “We’re gonna figure it out.”</p><p>                                  ***</p><p>   Izzie nervously fastens her daughter’s coat buttons. Seattle is colder than she remembers. </p><p> “Your daddy is very excited to meet you, you know. He’s a doctor like Mommy, and he loves kids. He’s going to love you. And his wife is coming with him. She’s a very nice lady,” Izzie tells them. Truthfully, she has no idea what Jo Karev is like, past her name. But she asssumes Alex married someone nice. </p><p> She watches as Alex and his wife stroll up to Alexis, Eli and herself. Their hands are clasped together, and Alex’s face has nervous written all over it. Jo’s is more relaxed, like she’s someone who thrives under pressure.</p><p> “Hey,” Alex shrugs. Izzie smiles, and sticks out her hand to his wife.</p><p> “Isobel Stevens, but please call me Izzie” she introduces herself.</p><p> Jo shakes her hand politely, “Josephine Karev, Jo for short.” Eli comes around from behind Izzie’s legs and stands in front of Jo.</p><p> “I’m Eli,” he grins. Jo smiles softly, mimicking her earlier action and sticking a hand out.</p><p> “I’m Jo,” she smiles. Alex looks at his wife and his son- weird as it is- softly.</p><p>He thinks it’s going to be okay.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I wrote another fix-it for Leave a Light On(16x16). Less angsty, and no one dies! </p><p>find me on tumblr: @angry-slytherin<br/>request a fic in my tumblr ask box!</p></blockquote></div></div>
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